Stockland gets nod on new mega city

DEVELOPMENT giant Stockland beat the State Government to the official announcement of its Caloundra South project, boasting it would create 24,000 jobs.

The company made an announcement to the stock exchange yesterday, well before the State Government's official statement came out.

But Local Government Minister Paul Lucas did verbally reveal during a visit to the Coast that he had approved the project for 50,000 people over the next 20 years.

Local environmentalist Ian Christiansen yesterday contacted the Daily after first reading of Mr Lucas's announcement on the Daily's website.

He said the fact that Stockland had released a statement to the exchange before the public had been officially informed was typical of the way the whole project had been handled.

Stockland said plans included a large town centre for shopping, retirement living villages, diverse housing, transport, as well as education and business opportunities. Stockland proposes to include 170,000sq m of retail and commercial space, and 650,000sq m of business and industry space.

Stockland managing director Matthew Quinn said it was "the most significant residential project Stockland has ever undertaken".